Lucas Torreira burst to fame during his time at Sampdoria (Getty Images)
It’s been two weeks since the World Cup has kicked off and it’s turned out to become one hell of a start. With the big teams faltering and the underdogs inspiring, this edition has truly proven to be pure entertainment so far.
The World Cup often propels youngsters to widespread fame owing to their performances. In the previous campaign in Brazil, Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez stole the show with his flair and energy. This time around, a number of youngsters have been gracing the World Cup with their presence.
Here, we take a look at two South Americans – Ever Banega and Lucas Torreira – who have been working hard to help Argentina and Uruguay.
Argentina have made a miserable start to their World Cup campaign, with Lionel Messi missing a penalty in a 1-1 draw against Iceland. The Albiceleste then lost 3-0 to Croatia in what was a completely one-sided game. Midfielder Ever Banega hasn’t played a role yet, coming on merely as a substitute in his first game.
The 29-year-old Sevilla man plays in the middle of the park and generally operates as a box-to-box midfielder. He made 25 appearances in the La Liga last season, scoring 3 goals and providing 3 assists. Banega is a defensive-minded midfielder and he averages 2.3 tackles per game. He is relentless when it comes to getting the ball and he certainly has a great work ethic.
Banega has been capped 63 times by Argentina, with the midfielder being a regular presence in the side over the last 6 years. He is also a clean passer of the ball, averaging an 88% pass success rate in the league last year. When you think of some of the best box-to-box midfielders out there, Banega isn’t a name that will instantly come to the mind but he certainly is one of the top players in his position.
Uruguay have enjoyed a superb start to their World Cup campaign, winning both their opening games. However, midfielder Lucas Torreira hasn’t been able to make a mark yet. The 22-year-old came on as a substitute for both the games, but he did enjoy a decent campaign in the Serie A last season.
The midfielder played 36 games for Sampdoria, scoring 4 goals and providing 1 assist in the process. He operates as an orthodox box-to-box midfielder, boasting of the same kind of qualities as Ever Banega. He is a great passer of the ball, with excellent distribution ability.
In fact, Torreira completed 87% of his passes in the league last season. His efforts have seen him attract interest from a number of clubs, Arsenal being the strongest.
Now, it remains to be seen how both the players fare as their teams gear up for the third and final game week in the group stage.